Bearing, Mill

Object Name:

Bearing, Mill

Object ID:

1973.514.06

Date:

circa 1770

Description:

Bearing block for water wheel shaft, Gilmanton, NH, c. 1770. Dark brown wood. Typescript label adhered to side, transcription of handwritten label on bottom: "This is the step for bearing upon which the upright shaft of the water wheel / rested and turned, of the first grist mill at the foot of Wilson Hill. The / mill was one of the first built in town and was built by Joshua Bean probably / about or before 1770. The step was placed where it was always under water. / It was taken up by G. W. Sanborn about 1858. The mill had one run of granite / stones, was two stories high, made very good Indian meal, stood where the / saw mill now stands and was entered on the upper floor from the road about on / a level. It was not wholly out of use till about 1835." "History of Gil - / Manton, p. 130." That label is on smooth surface; adjacent to it, surface is rough and worn. On top, surface uneven with rough and worn areas. Cutout hole near center of piece, 4.5" x 4.5", ~2" deep. Smooth flat sides and flat bottom. An insert fits into hole; its grain pattern runs up and down. Grain in rest of artifact runs horizontally. Insert roughly fits in hole with small gap around edges. With insert in place, near one end of hole, an area ~2" deep and a little over 4" diameter. This appears to be socket for vertical shaft that rests on it. About two thirds of socket hole is in insert. Ends of block rough and abraded. Side opposite typed label is smooth. Edges above and below smooth area on the side are rough and slightly concave. Bottom block convex in one plane. Bottom smooth except for one area near one end where it is quite abraded and worn. Slightly brown, paper label on bottom of block. Glued in place. Text written in ink script. Same text as above except for "&" instead of "and" before "was built".

Material:

Wood

Dimensions:

H-3.9 W-8.1 L-10.2 inches Weight-99.8 oz

Provenance:

According to the attached labels, this is the step for the bearing upon which the upright shaft of the water wheel rested and turned, of the first grist mill at the foot of Wilson Hill in Gilmanton, NH. The mill was one of the first in town, probably built by Joshua Bean c. 1770.

Credit Line:

New Hampshire Historical Society Collection

Subjects:

Water wheels, Waterwheels